How to Stop Being Unhappy with Your Current Computer Repair and Managed IT Services Company

As your business grows, you will be forced to move past a DIY solution to solving the technology problems you experience. Once your business grows to the point where you have two dozen laptops, desktops, and other devices, it’s a slow fade to when IT issues become the norm as you start to experience performance and productivity issues. Working with a computer repair and managed IT services company is probably your only option. Sometimes it works for the best and you develop a partnership that lasts the duration of your business. Other times, you are changing computer repair and managed IT services companies every quarter. Problems that occur are poor communications and slow response times If you're always looking for a new IT, check out this guide that will help you find a reputable partner. Here's what you need to know:

IT Is an Investment, Not an Expense. Great IT is an investment in your people. When it works, technology helps keep your team. happy and productive. Unfortunately, computer repair and managed IT services company comes in all varieties and types. What if you outsourced your IT, but it's someone who only “moonlights” as an IT person? You’re finding them slow to respond and slow to address issues, and they seem to have no strategy or plan to prevent future problems. They’re just not cutting it. You know it’s time to look for a new IT partner. With so many competing IT services firms, how do you choose the best one? If you’re in this situation, don’t hire just any IT firm. Ask these questions to find the best long-term fit, so you can avoid paying more later for a problem you didn’t solve today.

Does Your Computer repair & Managed IT Service Company Understand Support Is Really About People, Not Just Technology? When most people think about tech support, they picture someone troubleshooting a computer, resetting a password, or fixing a network issue. And while those are part of the job, they only scratch the surface. The truth is computer repair and managed IT services is less about technology and more about people. The role of the company you work with is not just to “fix broken things” — it’s to help people adapt to change, solve problems with confidence, and trust that technology is an enabler, not a barrier. At the end of the day, technology is only as good as the people who use it. Does your current IT support team work like this?

1. Listen first, fix second.

2. Communicate with empathy and clarity.

3. Focus on outcomes, not just outputs.

4. See every interaction as an opportunity to create a better user experience.

If not, it's time you switch.

What computer repair and managed IT services do you provide? You don’t want to wait until an issue arises to realize it falls outside your IT services company’s wheelhouse. At the very least, the company should include:

• Help desk support. PC issues spring up daily, and your IT support should have a defined process in place to quickly respond to these minor issues.

• Cybersecurity. Security of your network, your business data, customer information, and your office devices is absolutely critical to your business. But not every IT services company is equipped for the job, which means you’ll need to ask about which threat management, firewall, secure authentication, and virtual private network (VPN)/secure remote access your IT company uses.

• Strategic planning. Without a strategy, all you have is hope, and hope is not a strategy, correct? Your IT services firm should know you business well enough to create a technology roadmap and budget which aligns to your business objectives.

• Risk management. Your IT services firm should be proactive in preventing your IT issues, not only responding to them. You want them to be proactive, as well as reactive by evaluating and managing risk and auditing your IT environment.

• Training and education. It is one thing to introduce new technologies, it’s another to ensure every department is using them properly. Understand the type of user training and education you will receive.

• Backup and disaster recovery. You should uncover whether your IT firm monitors onsite and offsite backups, how often they restore your data, and if you can see a written plan for how you would recover my company data in the event of a disaster.

Why should I hire you over another IT support company? The best computer repair and managed IT support companies know their strengths and weaknesses. The best computer repair and managed IT Service firms are good in certain industries. Tap this knowledge to make sure your specific IT needs are met with someone who clearly understands them.

Can you provide client referrals for companies in similar industries to mine? You should see proof of expertise in certain industries before signing a managed services contract. If the IT company you’re talking with can’t provide strong client referrals with specific knowledge related to your industry, it likely doesn’t provide standout services or excellent customer service.

How much will IT support cost each month? Of course, you’ll want to know how much computer repair and managed IT support services will set you back each month. But instead of price shopping alone, investigate what each service includes. The cost is in the value. If you expect end-to-end IT services but the company only offers basic network support, that base price will quickly go up each month in add-ons. Get a clear understanding of the plan and offerings to factor in all the monthly costs. This is a good time to decide if you only need Break/Fix computer repair services or managed IT support for your company.

How will you anticipate and plan for my future business needs? You need an IT company that will be around for the long haul. You don’t want to discover the IT firm is unresponsive or inadequate after a few months and go back to the drawing board. This question says a lot about your IT support company and separates the true IT partners from reactive service providers. A long-term IT partner will take time to understand your short- and long-term business goals upfront and recommend ways to prepare for growth. They’ll meet with you every few months to review what’s changed and realign priorities.

Where does your internal team fall short, and how do you fill those gaps? No IT Services firm or MSP can be everything to every customer. Each undoubtedly has some weak areas. For instance, some IT firms outsource help desk services. If this is the case, ask: Where are they located? How do you ensure service quality? Search for an IT firm that offers most core managed IT services in-house and only outsources specific specialized services to select, reputable companies. If they’re guarded around this question, there’s a good chance they rely heavily on outsourcing, and you should go elsewhere.

Looking to replace your current IT vendor because you’re unhappy? Need help on where to start? Let us empower your teams to focus on your business, not your technology.

If you found this tech tip helpful, forward this blog to a friend or family member or simply use the share icons below now. If you have any questions, please reach out via email or on social media. I'm always available.

About Burton Kelso. Burton Kelso, the Chief Technology Expert at Integral, a computer repair and managed IT services company that for over 30 years has focused on helping people, not just computers, by building relationships and turning bad days into good ones, not just the technology. He is also a Top 2x TEDx Keynote Speaker and Expert on Cybersecurity, AI, and Digital Marketing as well as an On-Air TV Tech Expert appearing on TV and Radio stations all over the globe. He loves technology, he's read all of the manuals and he's serious about making technology fun, safe, and easy to use for everyone.

Looking for More Useful Tech Tips? Our Tuesday Tech Tips Blog is released every Tuesday. If you like video tips, we LIVE STREAM new episodes of 'Computer and Tech Tips for Non-Tech People' every Wednesday at 1:00 pm CST on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.   Technology product reviews are posted every Thursday. You can view previous episodes on our YouTube channel.

Sign Up for Our Newsletter! Click this link to sign-up and subscribe and you will receive every tip directly in your inbox each week.

Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone.

Need computer repair or IT support services? If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. Our team of friendly tech experts can help you with any IT needs you might have. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829.

Please share this with your friends and family! If you found this post useful, would you mind helping me out by sharing it? Just click one of the handy social media sharing buttons below.

The above content is provided for information purposes only. All information included therein is subject to change without notice. I am not responsible for any direct or indirect damages arising from or related to the use of or reliance on the above content.